Utah State coach Gary Andersen led the Aggies to an 11-2 record and a victory in the Idaho Potato Bowl this season. / Russ Isabella, USA TODAY Sports

by Dan Wolken, USA TODAY Sports

by Dan Wolken, USA TODAY Sports

Wisconsin is set to hire Utah State's Gary Andersen as its football coach today, according to multiple reports.

Andersen worked wonders at Utah State, going 18-8 over the last two seasons including an 11-2 record this seasons that included a victory over Toledo in last weekend's Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

Utah State had also become a scary foe for BCS-level competition, leading defending national champion Auburn in the 2011 season opener all the way until the final minute before falling 42-38.

He also gave Wisconsin fans an up close look at his ability as the Aggies narrowly lost 16-14 at Wisconsin on Sept. 15

On Nov. 30, Andersen released a statement through the university that he would remain at Utah State after his name had surfaced in connection to multiple openings. But that was before Bret Bielema left Wisconsin to take the job at Arkansas, opening up one of the more attractive positions in the Big Ten.

There was some speculation that athletic director Barry Alvarez, who is coaching the team in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, would return to coaching for at least a year if he didn't get one of his primary targets.

Andersen, a native of Salt Lake City, worked at Utah as an assistant under both Urban Meyer and Kyle Whittingham before taking the Utah State job in 2009.

The Wisconsin State Journal first reported late Tuesday that Alvarez had zeroed in on Andersen